photo : David D. Puukibeach
As the snow begins to fall and winter sets in, earthy and excited young men in Austria get out their whips. And what they do might be cause for concern, if you’re not prepared for their Krampus Parade!
Wonderfully Wicked Whips
Whilst whips might be more commonly associated with the Wild West (cowboys and Indians, that sort of stuff) or maybe with active Aussies down under (say, “Crocodile” Dundee), they’re also an important part of Austrian culture. In ancient times, carriage drivers – like the Fiakker in Vienna – used elaborate crack sequences to signal their approach and to identify themselves.
Not knowing a thing about whips, I found a friend with expert knowledge of whipcracking – or so he assures me. Without going in to too much detail, he alleges to be able to use two whips at once. But why he chose to do so must remain a mystery – suffice to say it’s for an adult audience only!
But what can be shared, is something of the nature of these whips with which he had a wonderfully wicked way – or so I am told.
Apparently whips vary in design. Some are short and simple like a riding crop, whilst others others are of a more elegant structure. One used for cow control (yes, my friend is American) is a single-tail or signal whip. The luscious length of this leather tool is around 4′ (or 1.2 metres). It has a thong making up most of this length (silly me, I thought that was some sort of underwear!); a short handle of around 8″ – 12 ” or 20 – 30 cm – which I would have said was most generously proportioned. Oh, and a sort of fuzzy bit on the end.
Cracking the Whip
The cracking heard is a sort of sonic boom as a section of the whip moves faster than the speed of sound. But merely flipping the thing is not enough to make it work. It seems there is a certain motion required, which falls into 3 modes:
- half wave
- full wave
- and loop
Seemingly the method of motion is a complicated affair involving kinetic energy in the body of the whip and the movement of the tool, acting together. The resultant reaction is a series of shapes or bends as the whip is thrown. So size and shape don’t matter when it comes to whipping up a frenzy, it’s all to do with the wrist action (well, I think that’s what he said!).
In Austria and other Germanic countries, whipcracking has become an art form. Goaßlschnalzer (roughly translated as whipcrackers) even do concert performances, often alongside other conventional instruments. And in some areas, Goaßlschnalzen competitions are held. A sort of boys (and sometimes girls) with their long and leathery toys type thing, I suppose.
Krampus Parades
But where whips come into their own with the excitable young men in Austria, is on December 5th when the Krampus Parades take place. This is the eve of St Nicholas’ Day, which heralds the start of the festive season.
The origins of the Krampus Parades lie in the pagan belief that supernatural beings lived in caves in the mountains and appeared in winter to punish people with their whips (hmm – I recall my friend making some reference to punishment, but I’ll be blowed if I can recall what).
Krampusse are goat-horned, hairy monsters with cloven feet, wearing grotesque wooden masks. They charge about terrorising their neighbours by whacking them with their whips – which are generally made of birch, rather than the luxurious leather creations favoured by my friend. And a mean sting they give as the excited young men seek revenge on those who have offended and – so I am told – flirt with every female they find!
So this winter, as you plot and plan for Christmas, think carefully about the scene that’s set. Cosy cuddling up round roaring log fires; sipping sweet punch; chomping on cake; and nibbling a savoury sausage or two, could lead you into serious trouble. The Krampusse could come and you might quite easily end up with a very sore – err – part of your anatomy!
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